Reinhold Saltzwedel
| Reinhold Saltzwedel | |
|---|---|
 U-Boat ace Oberleutnant zur See Saltzwedel | |
| Birth date | 23 November 1889 |
| Place of birth | Rosenberg, Upper Silesia, German Empire |
| Death date | ⚔ 2 December 1917 (aged 28) |
| Place of death | English Channel, off the Isle of Wight, England |
| Allegiance |  German Empire
|
| Service/branch |  Kaiserliche Marine
|
| Years of service | 1908–1917 |
| Rank | Oberleutnant zur See |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
| Awards | Pour le Mérite |
Reinhold Saltzwedel (23 November 1889 – 2 December 1917) was a German officer of the Kaiserliche Marine and U-boat commander (U-Boot-Kommandant), at last Oberleutnant zur See and Knight of the Order "Pour le Mérite" in World War I.
Contents
Life
Reinhold Saltzwedel was born in 1889 as the son of a pastor. After his Abitur in March 1908, he joined the German Navy as an officer candidate in April 1908.
WWI
Leutnant zur See Saltzwedel was adjutant on the SMS "Kaiser" when World War I broke out. In May 1915, he went to the U-boat school, after completing his training he was transferred to U-Flotilla Flanders in Zeebrugge. Shortly afterwards, he served as commander of several U-boats.
U-boat commands
- SM "UB 10", 13 January – 18 June 1916
- SM "UC 10", 14–26 June 1916
- SM "UC 11", 12–20 August 1916
- SM "UC 21", 15 September 1916 – 9 June 1917
- SM "UC 71", 10 June – 13 September 1917
- SM "UB 81", 18 September – 2 December 1917
Ace of the seas
Saltzwedel sank during his 22 patrols (Feindfahrten) 111 ships with a total of 172,824 GRT and damaged another 10 ships with a total of 17,131 GRT (together 189,955 GRT).[1] He damaged the French Q-ship "Normandy" and sank the British Q-ship HMS "Dunraven".
Death
SM UB 81 struck a mine on the night of 2 December 1917 in the English Channel to the southeast of the Isle of Wight off Dunnose Head. The crew of 34, commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Reinhold Saltzwedel, managed to raise the forward torpedo tubes above the surface and seven crewmen escaped before a collision occurred with a British patrol boat and she sank; another source claims that 35 men were aboard and that six survived. The survivors were rescued by a Royal Navy patrol boat. The wreck is designated as a controlled site under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 and therefore all diving on her is strictly prohibited.
Honours
The 2nd U-boat flotilla of the Kriegsmarine, founded in Wilhelmshaven in 1936, was named “Saltzwedel” in his honour. A floating pier, the Saltzwedelbrücke, at the naval base in Kiel is named after him.
Promotions
- 1 April 1908 Seekadett (Crew 1908)
- 10 April 1909 Fähnrich zur See
- 27 September 1911 Leutnant zur See
- 19 September 1914 Oberleutnant zur See
Awards and decorations
- Iron Cross (1914), 2nd and 1st Class
- Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords on 29 March 1917
- Pour le Mérite on 20 August 1917
Writings
- Die kaltblütige U-Boot-Falle, in: [Werner von Langsdorff]https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Langsdorff,_Werner_von (Hrsg.): "U-Boote am Feind. Fünfundvierzig deutsche U-Boot-Fahrer berichten", Gütersloh 1941 (11th Edition)
Further reading
- Hans Steen: U-Bootfallen im Kampf. Zur Erinnerung an den heldenmütigen Kampf und Tod des Oberleutnants zur See Reinhold Saltzwedel, Union Deutsche Verlagsgesellschaft, Stuttgart 1939
References
- 1889 births
- 1917 deaths
- People from Upper Silesia
- German Naval officers
- Imperial German Navy personnel of World War I
- German U-Boot commandants
- Recipients of the Iron Cross
- Recipients of the House Order of Hohenzollern
- Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class)
- German military personnel killed in World War I
